A Cad's Last Refuge: Blame The Media

Cheat on your wife, blame the media

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This week, two overage boys dealing with the professional ramifications of adulterous behavior did what all good men do in such circumstances -- blame the media.

Updated at 3:45 PM PDT on Friday, Aug 28, 2009

It was a Southern whine-fest of MVP proportions this week.

On Wednesday, Louisville head basketball coach had a press conference to lash out at the media's apparent spreading of "lies" about his adulterous fling several years ago with one Karen Sypher. Rick Pitino had sex with Sypher in a restaurant. After she became pregnant, she came to him asking for money for an abortion (he said it was so she could buy healh insurance). Sypher essentially continued to extort money from Pitino for several years until he 'fessed up and she was arrested.

Cheating Politicians

The affair was in 2003; the details came out this past summer. Pitino said earlier this month that he wouldn't have further comment until he testified at Sypher's upcoming trial. Indeed, his lawyers told him it would be unwise to engage the media. Yet, because one media outlet released Sypher's police interview, Pitino went ballistic:.

Shame on You

The coach lashed out at the media for again reporting on her accusations by airing clips of the interviews Wednesday. Prosecutors did not pursue charges against the coach.

"Everything that's been printed, everything that's been reported, everything that's been breaking in the news on the day Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie, a lie," Pitino said. "All of this has been a lie, a total fabrication of the truth."

Mad Hot Coaches

The married father of five, who's a Roman Catholic, said the scandal has taken a heavy toll on his wife and family.

"It has been pure hell for her and my family," he said.

"I admitted to you I made a mistake, and believe me I will suffer for that mistake," he added.

So, this has been "pure hell" for his wife and family? Then, why on earth would he put himself out there and give the story even longer legs?

And, for goodness sake, why even reference anything that occurred the day after Ted Kennedy died? Pitino could have just used all the focus on Kennedy to ignore Sypher's interview. Heck, the odds are that most other people did. Pitino ended up making the same mistake that another Southern cad did this summer. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford actually was given a bit of respite back in July when Michael Jackson died just as Sanford's scandal was spreading all over. Did Sanford take advantage of that? Nope. Instead, he had a mournful meeting with his cabinet -- thus giving the story even more life.

And speaking of Sanford, he also couldn't help himself. He had to follow Pitino's example Friday and go after the media for practicing "advocacy journalism" instead of "objective journalism." This came two days after Sanford's own lieutenant governor called for his resignation -- and other Republicans said that his impeachment would be the topic at their upcoming retreat. What's the media supposed to do?

Nope. Sorry, guys. It's quite obvious what's going on here: Your own adulterous behavior has set forces in motion that you can't control and -- being the control freak that a college basketball coach and a governor is likely to be -- you have to blame somebody. Can't blame the point guard; can't blame the "opposing team" (especially if your a governor and its members of your own "team" after you). So, what do you do? That old reliable stand-by -- the media.